Christopher Eccleston (/ˈɛkəlstən/; born 16 February 1964) is an English actor whose work has encompassed Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films, television dramas, Shakespearean stage performances and science fiction, most notably the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC series Doctor Who (2005). He starred as Matt Jamison in The Leftovers (2014–2017), and has frequently collaborated with filmmakers Danny Boyle and Michael Winterbottom.

Eccleston first rose to prominence for his portrayal of Derek Bentley in the film Let Him Have It (1991). His television performance in Our Friends in the North (1996) resulted in his first BAFTA Award nomination. He received a second nomination for The Second Coming (2003). Eccleston won an International Emmy Award for his performance in Accused (2010). On stage, he has played the title roles in Shakespeare's Hamlet and Macbeth, and starred in Strindberg's Miss Julie, Ibsen's A Doll's House, as well as the Greek tragedy Antigone. Since 2017, he has narrated the documentary series Ambulance.

Eccleston was born on 16 February 1964 into a working-class family in the Langworthy area of Salford, then part of Lancashire. He is the son of Elsie and Ronnie Eccleston. He has twin brothers, Alan and Keith, who were born eight years before he was. On his religious upbringing, he said, "My dad's family were Catholic. My mum was very Church of England – still is – but it doesn't work for me."

The family lived in a small terraced house on Blodwell Street before moving to Little Hulton when Eccleston was seven months old. He attended Joseph Eastham High School, where he became head boy.

At the age of 19, Eccleston was inspired to pursue acting by such television dramas as Boys from the Blackstuff. He completed a two-year Performance Foundation Course at Salford Tech, then went on to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He was influenced in his early years by Ken Loach's film Kes and Albert Finney's performance in the film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. He soon found himself performing the classics as well, including the works of William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, and Molière.

At the age of 25, he made his professional stage debut in the Bristol Old Vic's production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Underemployed as an actor for some years after graduating from college, he took a variety of odd jobs: at a supermarket, on building sites, and as an artist's model.

Eccleston first came to public attention as Derek Bentley in the film Let Him Have It, and for a guest appearance in the Inspector Morse episode "Second Time Around", both 1991. The following year he portrayed Sean Maddox in the BBC miniseries Friday on my Mind. A regular role in the hit crime drama Cracker (1993–94) brought him widespread recognition in the UK. After he decided to leave the series, his character was killed off in October 1994. At around the same time, Eccleston appeared in the Poirot episode "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe".

In 1994, he co-starred with Ewan McGregor in the low-budget Danny Boyle film Shallow Grave, and also landed the part of Nicky Hutchinson in Our Friends in the North, as part of an ensemble cast which featured Mark Strong, Gina McKee and Daniel Craig. The broadcast of the epic serial in 1996 on BBC Two helped to make Eccleston a household name in the UK. Also in 1996, he starred in the television film Hillsborough, written by Jimmy McGovern, portraying Trevor Hicks, who lost both of his daughters in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. When Hicks got married in March 2009, Eccleston was his best man.